Then and now
by Tago sa Tulay
Summary: A fanfic starting at a time when Ash/Satoshi has defeated the Elite Four of Sinnoh. With some AdvanceShipping. AdvanceShipping AAMayL Satoshi Haruka SatoHaru
1. Night in Shinou

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

Yes, I did edit this. However, the edits are very minor and barely noticable – I just changed the title, changed the punctuation a little, and changed a few words. They have not changed the storyline at all.

I will be using the human characters' Japanese names for this fanfic:

Ash – Satoshi May – Haruka Max – Masato

Brock –Takeshi Dawn – Hikari Misty – Kasumi

Drew – Shuu Harley - Haari Tracey - Kenji

Gary – Shigeru Delia Ketchum – Hanako

Prof. Oak – Oukido Nurse Joy – Nurse Joi

Jessie – Musashi James – Koujiro Norman – Senri

Caroline – Mitsuko Team Rocket – Roketto Dan

Pokémon will be in Japanese names too. When introducing a Pokémon for the first time, the English name will be displayed in parentheses beside the Japanese name example: Guraena (Mightyena), after which only the Japanese name will be used.

The names of the regions will also be in Japanese

Kanto – Kantou Johto – Jouto Hoenn – Houen Sinnoh – Shinou

Orange Islands – Orenji Shotou

The "ou" here is pronounced like "oh", I think. "ō" can also used instead of "ou" to represent that same Japanese phoneme. I will be using "ou" in the narrative and "ō" in the character spoken sentences. "ā" would (I think) be like the letter "a", but pronounced for a slightly longer length of time that it usually is in English.

This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic, so please excuse me if this fanfic sucks. Still, I hope you like it. )

Also, I don't know much about speaking Japanese, so sorry if my Japanese is bad.

Italics stand for thoughts and quotation marks stand for speech.

For flashbacks: Beginnings of flashbacks shall be marked by FLASHBACK. The end of a flashback will be marked: END FLASHBACK

Here are the ages of the characters in the fanfic (note that these are neither official ages nor official age gaps):

Satoshi – 15

Haruka – 14

Masato – 11

Takeshi – 20

Hikari – 14

Kasumi – 18

Kenji – 18

Shuu – 16

Haari – 15

Shigeru – 15

Oukido – 71

Musashi – 22

Koujiro – 22

Hanako – 38

Senri – 40

Mistuko – 40

Also, I will be inventing my own character. His name is Saito, and he's 16.

Note: Although there will be flashbacks that took place at the same time as the animé, not all of these flashbacks actually happened in the animé.

Another note: I will be making the characters speak a little Japanese here (I'm not very good, so forgive me if my Japanese is bad). Some of the Japanese words and phrases I will use will be informal and inappropriate for use with people who are not close friends, so please take Japanese lessons or read a book teaching Japanese language to know the polite and formal way of speaking.

That being said, it is now time to begin the story.

Chapter I

Satoshi stood on the balcony of the cottage and breathed in the cold, nighttime mountain air. The air here was very clean and fresh, unlike the smoke-clogged and dusty air in the cities. The night sky was clear; free from the blinding glare of city lights, stars bright and faint could be seen spread all across the sky. He gazed at the landscape before his eyes. In front of the cottage was a deep chasm, reaching down to what seemed like thousands of feet below. Beyond the chasm, mountains lay all around as far as the eye can see, all of them covered in peaceful, undisturbed old-growth forests. He took another deep breath of the cool, refreshing air, letting its aura envelope and soothe his tired soul.

He leaned forward against the railing of the balcony of the cottage where he and his companions were staying as they traveled across Shinou, gazing at the mountain landscape in the distance while contemplating. He had just challenged the Shinou league, defeating the Elite Four. He was proud of his acheivement, satisfied at where all those years of training have brought him.

Now that he had challenged all leagues in all the regions, he found that he had nowhere else to go. He could go to another country and compete in the Pokémon leagues there, but he didn't feel like going abroad anytime soon. He decided to go back to Masara Taun (Pallet Town) for the time being.

However, he felt empty. He knew that there was something missing in his life. He never felt truly happy ever since the day that he had to part ways with – her. He was sure it was her. Although there were times of joy during his travels in Shinou whenever great things would happen, it didn't seem complete. Part of him would still be sad, part of him still held on to the memories he had with her. These memories were both one of his greatest joys, and one of his greatest pains.

Ever since he left Kantou after defeating the Battle Frontier, he felt that part of him had just disappeared. All that time, as he traveled across Shinou, he knew that he was going against his heart. Every day, he felt burdened by the pain of being away from the one he knew he loved. His heart had been pressuring him to turn back, to leave and go to the girl who was always in his dreams, the only girl whom he had ever felt a profound, deep relationship with that exceeded friendship; a girl with brown hair and sapphire eyes, red blouse, black shorts and red bandanna with a white Pokéball design. "Haruka–", he said to himself.

All that time, nothing could make him forget about the sadness in his heart; that silent, profound melancholy.

His thoughts turned to her. He missed her. He fervently wished that she had come to Shinou along with him. Those sapphire eyes, those eyes of hers that seemed to bend reality whenever they met Satoshi's eyes, seemed more refreshing and comforting that anything else he had ever experienced. He had liked Haruka ever since the early days of their journeys in Houen, and as time passed, they became closer. It was then that Satoshi realized his feelings for her change a little. What he felt was no longer the crush he had on Haruka before. He felt that it had gone deeper than that, deeper than merely liking someone. It was love. All through that time, all through those months, he had loved her. He dreamed about her, he tried to help her in any way he could,

He remembered how they would bond together by talking to each other in private while Takeshi and Masato were not around or were asleep, sharing with each other their interests, thoughts, insights, fears, and ambitions. He remembered how she would always turn to him whenever she was distraught or afraid, and how he would compassionately comfort and reassure her afterward. Then, he remembered one time when they were camping, towards the end of their journey in Kantou.

FLASHBACK

Satoshi sat close to the campfire late that night, staring into the brilliance of the flame. A soft, cool breeze was blowing, and the sweet scent of Ilang-Ilang and Calachuchi trees was in the air. He looked toward his companions, all of which were asleep by now.

Takeshi slept facing upward, his arms sticking out of his sleeping bag and touching the earth, eyes obviously closed. _Why wouldn't they be?_ Satoshi thought. _His eyes are closed even when he's awake_. Satoshi saw how his arms were touching the ground and got a little worried about the food he would cook becoming contaminated by his dirty hands. _Nope, I don't think that'll happen. Takeshi is really sanitary when he cooks. He always washes his hands with antibacterial soap before cooking. Good thing there's a stream nearby where he can wash up_.

Next, he took a look at Masato. He was sleeping face down, his glasses beside him on his sleeping bag, but not so near that they would get crushed should he move in his sleep a little. Small dark circles encircled the eyes of the young child. _He hasn't had much sleep lately_. Satoshi thought. _We've been rather busy lately and haven't been getting much sleep. And young children like Masato need a lot of sleep._ Satoshi pitied him a bit, having had to be woken up early while he was still snoring heavily so that they could proceed with their planned activities on schedule. _But then again, I guess he'd need to know how to work hard and get up early. He'll be doing it a lot when he becomes a trainer._ However, Satoshi started re-thinking that thought. _Nah, he'll just have to manage his time well; that way, he wouldn't need to tire himself out._

Satoshi started to feel guilty. _Well…we haven't been managing our time well, have we? We plan things out, but that plan seldom gets followed. We always end up getting sidetracked. When we plan to leave a city at 4:30 PM, Haruka would get caught up shopping, and we'd end up leaving at 7:00 PM. Or, Takeshi would go around flirting with Joi-san or some other girl, and we'd end up leaving at 7:00 PM too. Even I've made my share of time management mistakes; leisurely walking around or training with my Pokémon instead of searching for the supplies that Takeshi asked me to buy, even if I could easily train some other time. Takeshi is a competent supply man, but he's no Superman, and obviously needs help every now and then. I'd end up doing it late, further delaying us and slashing a few hours away from our resting and sleeping time. In fact, Masato is the only one among us who's never wasted time, and he's the one whom our actions have taken the greatest toll on._ He felt sorry that they tired him and wore him out because of their procrastination.

Finally, he gazed upon Haruka. He looked at her as she lay in her sleeping bag, snoring very lightly while sleeping on her side, facing to her left. Whenever he saw her sleep so contentedly and peacefully, he felt his tired spirit become rejuvenated, returning it to its usual vitality. He wanted to get closer to her, to look at that angelic face and soothe his tired heart, mind and spirit. He slowly stood up, walked over to her and knelt at her left.

He gazed at her affectionately, at her peacefully smiling face, and gently stroked her soft cheek. Looking at her sleep, so contentedly and so peacefully, made Satoshi feel relaxed and contented as well. He loved a lot of people in his life, but he loved Haruka in a special way. Somewhere in his heart was a place for Haruka alone. He loved her; he was definitely sure of it. He would dream that they would sit peacefully in the fields on the slopes of gentle, rolling hills, and that they would hug and cuddle each other under the night sky as they enjoyed the pleasant nighttime air, gazing at the gentle, rolling hills in the distance. He dreamed that he would someday place his arms around her waist and gently draw her closer to him, slowly bringing his face closer to hers, and placing their lips together for a kiss. And he would remember waking up from the dream, finding himself transported back to what seemed like reality: they weren't together. And, Satoshi thought, they probably never will be.

He knew that he would someday have to tell her. But he couldn't. He was afraid.

_Why am I afraid? What do I fear?_ He pondered. _I know what I am afraid of; I'm afraid she won't feel the same. _He sighed. _When I tell her that I love her, she might just say that she's sorry, but she doesn't feel the same about me. Then, we would find ourselves in an awkward situation, now that she knows about my feelings for her. Then, It will be a long time before I can talk to her normally again, if I ever will..._He thought. _But if I don't tell her, what if she feels the same way, but is also afraid? Then we'll never know about our feelings for each other, and we'll never be together. _

He continued to ponder about this decision; one that could bring him either great joy, or great pain. _It's...it's so hard. _He thought.

He felt so helpless and hopeless, crushed by the difficulty of the decision. He didn't know what he should do. _I know I should tell her. But no, I shouldn't because...no, yes I should... _He felt overwhelmed and lost. He just wished someone were there to offer him sympathy and advice.

He placed his hand on Haruka's cheek. He stared at her longingly, wishing that somehow, she would feel the same for him, and that they could be together. He wished that she would love him, just as he loved her.

Suddenly, Haruka's hand reached towards her face. Her hand lightly held the hand that had been resting on her cheek. She smiled.

Satoshi blushed. He held her hand tighter, wishing that he could hold her soft hand for the rest of the night. Then, he was shocked to realize that Haruka hadn't been sleeping as soundly as he hoped.

_Oh no, I gotta get out of this one. If she wakes up and sees me like this...who knows what she might think?_ Satoshi quickly thought._ She might think I'm a weirdo or a creep, looking at her like this while she's sleeping. Anyway, I'll need to get away from her without waking her up. I've got to be careful._

Working carefully not to wake her up, Satoshi slowly and reluctantly pulled his hand away from hers. He stood up, walked towards the campfire and sat down. He looked towards the beauty of nature all around him.

_Clear skies, cool, fragrant air, unspoilt countryside. The trees cover all the hills, the air carries the sweet scent of fragrant flowers. The skies are filled with stars, now that the city lights are no longer here to outshine them. It's...beautiful._

_This would have been one of the happiest days of my life, if only...I could tell her how I feel, and she would tell me she felt the same._

_But what are the chances of that happening?_

Satoshi sat near the fire for nearly an hour, contemplating.

Suddenly, he felt a weight press down on his shoulder. He turned his head to see what it was. He saw Haruka behind him, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"H-Haruka-chan..!" Satoshi exclaimed, blushing. "Are you all right? Did I disturb you?"

She smiled. "No, Satoshi-kun." she reassuringly said. "It's all right. I just...wanted to think about things." She placed her hands on his shoulders.

Satoshi looked up towards the sky. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"The future." She said. "About travelling in Jōto, alone."

"I see..." Satoshi replied, with a hint of sadness in his voice. He didn't want Haruka to leave.

"I know I have to travel alone. It's the only way...to improve myself as a Coordinator." Haruka said. "But...I feel that, maybe it might be too difficult for me."

"It's all right, Haruka-chan. Just remember, wherever you are, I'll always cheer for you; I'll always wish for your success and improvement. All of us will; me, Takeshi, Masato, and your parents, Senri-san and Mitsuko-san." Satoshi reassured.

"You can always give me a call. I'll do anything I can to help you out. Just call me up." Satoshi said.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks...Satoshi-kun." Haruka replied. "I...I'll miss you, Satoshi-kun." she stammered, with tears in her eyes.

Satoshi turned around, facing Haruka. She nuzzled her head on his shoulder and threw her arms around his neck. He placed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, allowing her tears to fall on his shoulder.

"I'll miss you too, Haruka-chan."

A thought flashed in Satoshi's head. _Tell her now! Now's the best time! No, I'm afraid. I can't do it. What if she says she doesn't love me? That would totally ruin the moment. But what if she says she does? Then that'll make the moment a thousand times better! Tell her now! If you don't, you'll always regret it! You'll always think you could have told her, but you were afraid!_

_I can't decide what to do..._

Satoshi looked at the sky. He was crying, too. He held her more tightly, intending never to let her go.

END FLASHBACK

Satoshi continued thinking. _I was so foolish! I could have told her, then I would no longer bear this emotional burden. In fact, it's possible that she might be with me right now, if only I told her. But I was afraid. It was all because I didn't have the guts to tell her._

Satoshi heard footsteps behind him and turned around. It was Saito, one of his traveling companions. He was a boy the same age age Satoshi; with long, black hair, black-rimmed glasses, a black, open jacket with a white shirt underneath, and black pants. But the most noticeable trait of this youth was the cold, calculating look in his dark eyes.

"Saito-san." Satoshi said.

"_Konban wa_ (Good evening), Satoshi-san." He replied.

"I see...as usual, contemplating in the silence." the long-haired youth said.

––"Yes. This landscape…it just somehow seems so peaceful; looking at it makes me feel...nice, somehow."

"You've been doing so a lot lately."

––"Well…yeah, I guess so."

The cold, seemingly emotionless youth noticed a sad aura about Satoshi, as well as sadness in his voice.

"It is about Haruka-san, I presume."

Satoshi was silent for a moment. Then, he nodded. "Yes."

Saito looked at Satoshi for a moment. He could see tears forming at the corner of Satoshi's eyes. _I understand. Satoshi misses her. He cares for her very much. _Saito thought.

Saito remembered how Satoshi would stay up at night looking at the sky or at the landscape, holding a half-ribbon from a Pokémon Contest in his hand. He remembered when Satoshi would talk in his sleep. During those times when he would dream so deeply that he spoke while sleeping, he would say her name and call out to her, as if he were pleading her to stay with him and not leave him alone; sometimes loud enough to wake Saito, Masato and Hikari.

_I could say with certainty that he likes, nay, loves her. _

Saito then returned his gaze to the landscape, seemingly lost in thought. _And how can I blame him? It really isn't easy to be separated from your loved ones._

"I understand." Saito said.

"Satoshi, have you ever tried talking to her after she returned to Jouto?"

––"No, not really."

"Why?"

––"It's not easy."

Saito pushed his glasses upward. "Well, you _are_ a dreamer, always dreaming without achieving anything. I guess I wouldn't expect much more from you"

––"Hey, come on, if you were in my shoes, you'd be scared too, you know. She's probably in love with...Shuu. If she loved me, why would she decide not to travel with me? Why did she go back to Jouto after visiting me?" Satoshi said dejectedly.

"I guess...I guess I'm just second-rate. I guess Shuu's the one Haruka really loves, not me. After all, what's so great about me anyway?"

"Honestly...nothing." Saito replied. " Skilled Pokémon trainer, but otherwise unremarkable. And really immature and dense too. Seriously, I believe you need to learn the traits called patience and humility, having learned from experience what it's like to travel with someone as headstrong and overconfident as you." Saito said simply, without emotion.

Satoshi didn't reply, but was not in the least surprised. _Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm not really the type of guy Haruka would like_. _Maybe the way she spoke to me, hugged me and cried on my shoulder that night was just...a friendly thing. It's entirely possible that she views me only as a very close friend, nothing more. _

However, Satoshi remembered Saito's nature._ But then again, that's Saito. It's rare for him to give positive comments to anyone._ Satoshi thought._ Besides, being really cold and unemotional, he can only see situations rationally. But this isn't something that can be answered rationally. This isn't about rationality, practicality or objectivity, which are the only things Saito really knows. It's all about emotions. _

_But still, what if he's right? In fact, I kind of think he is..._

"You're right...maybe I should just give up."

Saito sighed. _Well...I expected nothing more from an idiot like him._

"You know, speaking from a practical point of view, even if I think you have little hope of ever winning her heart over, I think it would be better for you to call her on the videophone. I would suggest telling her how you feel. But I believe that's got little hope of happening, considering how cowardly you are when dealing with a girl you like." Saito said.

"Yeah, I know I should tell her, but...I'm really nervous. What if she thinks it...weird? What if she finds it weird that I suddenly call up out of nowhere? And, more importantly, what if...she tells me she doesn't love me back?" Satoshi asked.

––"Precisely. You trust your own judgment too much, thinking you can interpret other people's actions, intentions and agendas correctly based on your feeble knowledge. In the process, you fail to understand the fact that other people's psychology is not the same as your own."

Satoshi thought for a moment. _Now, I think Saito might be right. I'm way too cowardly to express my feelings to her because I always think she would react negatively and find it awkward. But that might not be how Haruka thinks. Who knows...maybe she actually...likes me. Maybe she...loves...me. _

"Well...I guess you're right. I should probably call her next time we get to a Pokémon Center." Satoshi agreed.

Suddenly, a voice called from the kitchen. "The food is ready! Let us eat, everyone!" Takeshi's voice hollered.

"_Sā, watashitachi wa tabemashō ka? _(So, shall we eat?)_" _Saito suggested.

––"_Hai, tabemashō. _(Yes, let us eat.)"

The teenagers walked out of the balcony and descended through the stairs, walking over to the dining room. Saito eyed the generous spread of food laid on the table, admitting inwardly that Takeshi was an amazing chef.

_"Waa...Takeshi-san no ryōri wa itsumo oishii da, ne? _(Woah, Takeshi-san's cooking is always delicious, isn't it?)_" _Saito remarked, seeing the feast Takeshi had made for them.

"_Hai_ (Yes)." Satoshi replied. "So, you actually complimented someone."

"Well, at least his cooking is worthy of praise. Only those who deserve compliments will ever receive them." Saito retorted with a slightly condescending tone, pushing his glasses upward.

Satoshi sighed. "I guess that's typical of you."

"Hey, come on guys, there's no need to fight! You won't be able to enjoy Takeshi-san's cooking if you're angry!" Hikari giggled.

"Yeah, this stuff is really good! You've got to have your mind on the food to enjoy it thoroughly, not on some argument!" Masato added, dipping his tuna sashimi in soy sauce and wasabi paste.

"Now everyone, shall we eat?" Takeshi asked them.

"Yeah. I'm really hungry right now. Come, on, let's all eat!" Satoshi said.

Satoshi took a seat at the table, gesturing towards Saito to do the same. But Saito refused.

"I need to think about something first." he said, turning towards the stairway.

"Come on, if you don't eat now, there might not be any left for you later. You know how much I eat when I'm this hungry!" Satoshi encouraged.

"Hey, Saito-san, come on! Takeshi-san's food is great! Besides, it's more fun when all of us eat together!" Hikari pitched in.

"No, I'm fine. I just need to think about things..." Saito refused.

"Well...if that's what you want, all right." Satoshi said.

"Saito-san..." Hikari muttered. "...I wonder what's wrong..."

Saito walked to the stairs and ascended to the second floor. He walked out into the balcony. He gazed out at the beautiful landscape.

_The night sky is beautiful; cloudless, ablaze with the light of countless, brilliant stars. The valley, majestic and covered in peaceful forests, gently slopes down to the ground; without blazing city lights to obscure the natural beauty of the night, the dark outline of hills in the distance against the night sky is shrouded in tranquil beauty. All around us are undisturbed forests, places where anyone can find peace, silence and solace, with which I can meditate and think deeply with._

_If only I could complement the splendor of nature with the joy and sweetness of enjoying it with you._

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Ok, so that's the first chapter of my first attempt at writing a fanfic. I hope you liked it. Please review my story: reviews of any kind will help me improve my writing. Any review will be appreciated: be it praise or criticism. But I request that you please don't flame the couple or the story. If you didn't like it (either the couple, story or both), please criticize and say your opinion politely, not only to me but to all writers out there, even those not in this site ). Thanks.


	2. Incidence

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

NOTICE: as I have said earlier, a lot of the Japanese spoken in this fanfic will be informal and/or rude. It is NOT advisable to speak Japanese like this in real life, especially when talking to people you don't know, because you might end up getting embarrassed, offending people or even getting into a fight. Please study Japanese to know how to talk politely.

Also, because I am just a beginner at the language, my Japanese might be wrong at times; there's no guarantee that I'm writing it correctly. If you see any mistakes with my Japanese and wish to correct me, please do so. It will be appreciated.

To those who reviewed the first chapter: thanks a lot. Thank you so much. I really mean it.

Also, sorry for the mistake on the first chapter: Saito is actually a year older than Satoshi, not the same age as was written when Saito was introduced (Satoshi is 15 in this fanfic).

Here's the second chapter. I hope you like it.

Chapter 2

"I'll be taking one ticket to Masara Taun (Pallet Town) please." Haruka told the clerk at the counter.

"_Kochira desu._ (Here you go.)" the clerk said with a smile.

"_Dōmo _(Thanks.)" the brunette girl smiled.

Haruka passed through the hallway which led to the waiting area for the next ship. She handed over her bag to be inspected by the security guards and walked through the metal detector to make sure she wasn't carrying anything dangerous. A few seconds later, the security guards gave her back her pack. She proceeded to the waiting area and took a seat.

_Knowing Satoshi, his first stop after finally beating the last region would be Masara Taun._ Haruka thought, remembering reading an article about Satoshi's recent victory over the Shinou Elite Four in a newspaper.

She still had half an hour before the ferry arrives, so she decided to read a Pokémon magazine she had bought a few days ago. She opened her bag to get it. However, as she rummaged through its contents, she saw her wallet. She opened it, and looked at the picture of Shuu, which she had been keeping there. She looked at it with an expression of slight sadness.

_I'm sorry, Shuu. I hope I haven't hurt you. _Haruka remorsefully thought. _But please, forgive me. _

_Please, understand; the loneliness and sadness I felt every day, ever since Satoshi and I parted ways; I can't ignore my feelings any longer. I can't stay separated from him any longer. _

_You've been a great rival, but also a great friend. I thank you for having helped me a lot during my journey in Jouto. But, Satoshi...I...I love him! I love him so much! I dream of him. I miss him. I want to see him again, hug him and tell him that I missed him, and tell him how I feel about him. _

_Please, understand me, my friend. Please, don't hate me. Please, don't hate Satoshi._

"Hey, Satoshi-kun, wake up!" Hikari said.

Satoshi turned to his right, refusing to answer.

"Wake up!" Hikari yelled, shaking Satoshi in an attempt to wake him.

"Uhnnn..." Satoshi muttered.

––"Satoshi-kun, it's already nine in the morning. Wake up. We've all had breakfast already."

Satoshi reluctantly sat up on his bed. "Fine. Whatever." he said, standing up and heading towards the stairs.

Saito stood quietly on a corner near the stairway as Satoshi headed downstairs. Hikari went towards the stairs, intending to follow Satoshi. Then, she noticed Saito standing in the corner.

"Hi, Saito-san!" she smiled.

––"Uhm...good morning, Hikari-san." Saito replied, surprised.

He watched as Hikari walked down the flight of stairs.

_Man...I guess practicing what I preach is going to be harder than I thought..._

Satoshi slowly ate his stew, seemingly not in the mood to eat much. He was hungry, as he was almost every morning. But unlike before, he didn't seem preoccupied with eating. He thought of going home to Masara Taun. They were only an eight hour's walk away from the nearest port. He would be home in tomorrow afternoon. And when he finally got home, he would call Haruka on the phone and making that fateful confession.

"Woah, Satoshi-kun, unbelievable! For once, you actually aren't wolfing down your food!" Takeshi remarked as he washed the dishes.

Satoshi didn't reply. He barely even noticed Takeshi speaking to him. He continued thinking about that time; when he would finally admit his feelings to Haruka. His heart raced. He was nervous. _Will I be able to pull that off?_, he thought.

"Hey...,Satoshi. Are you all right?" Takeshi asked, momentarily putting the washing of the dishes on hold.

"Uhm...yeah, I'm all right. I was just thinking about something." Satoshi answered.

"Well...if you say so." Takeshi said, going back to washing the dishes.

Satoshi continued eating at a slow pace, trying in vain to distract himself from thinking of that decision he would have to make soon. Tell her, or not? He tried thinking of other things. He tried remembering a game of chess he had with another Trainer at a Pokémon Center. He tried thinking of what it was like to own and ride a yacht. He tried thinking what it would be like to climb a huge tree and view the landscape below. But no matter what he tried thinking about, in some way or another, his thoughts would shift back to that confession he had been planning.

Then, he started thinking of other things. He imagined he and Haruka playing chess together. He imagined he and Haruka sailing out into the sea in a yacht together with their friends, embarking on another exciting journey in a foreign land. He imagined himself climbing a huge tree with Haruka, and admiring the marvelous view from above with her, side by side and holding hands on a large branch of a tall tree.

_Those would all be great, _He thought.

After having two more helpings of stew, Saotshi got up, getting ready to pack up and leave for the port.

It was late afternoon, as the five youths walked down a path in a forest, en route to the port to board a ferry to Masara Taun. They began to feel tired, having walked for hours on end without stopping.

"Oh, come one! Please, can we take a short break? I'm getting tired from all this walking." Masato complained.

"No. We should get to the port as soon as possible, you know." Satoshi reasoned.

"Aww...come on..." Masato implored.

"I'm sorry, but it's just best that we get to the port as soon as possible. You can rest there, Masato-kun." Satoshi explained.

"Satoshi-kun...can we please rest for a while? We've been walking for...hours." Hikari asked.

––"But we need to get to the port soon. Come on, we're only an hour's walk away from the port."

"Here we are once more, led by the very patient and considerate self-proclaimed leader of the group." Saito said, calm but clearly sarcastic.

"Oh, come on..." Satoshi complained, having been lectured on by Saito about patience for what seemed like nearly a hundred times.

Then, both of them pleaded in unison.

"Satoshi-kun, pleaaaase?" Hikari pleaded.

"Satoshi-san, pleaaaaase?" Masato pleaded.

Satoshi found it hard to turn down their plea. Although he had been intending to get to the port soon, he decided to let them rest.

"Well...all right then." Satoshi relented.

"Yay! Thanks, Satoshi-san!" Masato exclaimed.

"_Daijōbu! Tōkunai yo! _(It's all right! We're not far!)" Hikari smiled, seeing Satoshi's slightly disappointed expression.

"I think we'll make it in time, even if we rest for half an hour or so." she continued.

"Well...if that's the case, then I guess it's fine with me." Satoshi smiled back.

"_Takeshi-san, Saito-san, Pikachu, anata-tachi wa dō omoimasu ka? _(Takeshi-san, Saito-san, Pikachu, what do you guys think?)" Satoshi asked.

"I'd like to rest for a while. I'll be making a few Pokéblocks." Takeshi answered.

"I'd like it as well." Saito replied.

"Pikachu!" the electric mouse Pokémon agreed.

"Well then, I guess we should take a short break." Satoshi said.

They put their luggage down. Hikari called out Potchama (Piplup) to give it a bit of fresh air. Masato sat down on the ground and took out a book about Flying Pokémon. Takeshi got his ingredients and utensils for making Pokéblocks.

Satoshi sat down on a rock, staring blankly into space as he let his thoughts go. Pikachu noticed his sudden silence. He tried to know what was wrong.

"Pikachu! Pikapi!" the Pokémon exclaimed.

––"Hey there, buddy!" Satoshi said.

"Pika, pikachu! Pika, pika, pi!"

––"No, I'm all right. I was just thinking."

"Pikachu?" the Pokémon asked.

––"I was thinking about what I would do after this. I'll be heading back to my home for the time being, but I don't intend to stay there for long. Maybe I'll travel to another country and try my Pokémon Trainer skills there. Who knows, maybe I might even be able to travel with Haruka! That would be great! If I could travel with her again, and experience different places and marvelous sights with her...that would be awesome. We would walk together again, spending our days traveling side by side."

"Pika! Pi!" the Pokémon agreed, enthusiastic about the prospect of traveling with their old friend.

Satoshi looked up, watching the orange rays of the late afternoon sun shine through the leaves of the trees. A cool breeze blew.

As the leaves of the trees swayed in the wind, rustling gently, Satoshi watched the small chinks of light alternately appear and disappear through the leaves, as if they were sparkling jewels.

He smiled.

Saito was standing up, leaning against a tree.

_His skills are great. He also learns incredibly fast, much faster than most people do, as I have seen after traveling with this group for more than a year. But I guess that is to be expected..._

"Hey, Saito-san!" Hikari smiled.

"Uh, Hikari-san! What is it?" Saito replied, once again surprised.

"Oh, nothing. Why don't you sit down a bit?"

––"No, thanks."

"Are you sure? You should be tired from all that walking." Hikari asked concernedly.

"Well...alright." Saito said. He seated himself on one of the tree's large roots.

–_––_

Haruka stood on the deck of the ship, staring at the calm, gentle sea as small waves slapped against the ship's hull. Along the horizon, the sea reflected the rays of the setting sun, the brilliant light sparkling on the surface of the sea as the waves passed by.

"I guess I'll be arriving in Masara Taun a little later than I thought." she said to herself. The ferry's departure was delayed by two hours. She would be arriving in Masara Taun at night, instead of late afternoon as she originally planned.

She looked at the half-ribbon in her hand, remembering all the support and understanding that Satoshi had shown her. She held the half-ribbon tightly, remembering how his understanding and support had helped her grow in Jouto, both as a Coordinator and as a person. _You're a very nice person, Satoshi-kun. You always supported me and understood and consoled me when I was feeling down. I was such a crybaby back then; always weak and overly worrisome. _

_You've helped me a lot of times. You've...even saved me a lot of times._

_Thanks. Thank you so much. _

_I'll be waiting for you, in your hometown._

_I promise..._

–––

Satoshi walked across the deck of the ferry. It was already nighttime. The full moon lay low over the horizon, its light reflecting from the ripples and waves in the sea. He walked toward another person who was standing on the deck, gazing at the moon.

"How did it go?" Saito asked.

"Senri-san and Mitsuko-san are not at home, apparently, so I still domn't have a clue as to where Haruka-chan would be."

"I see." Saito replied. "Well, try calling again when we get to your house."

"Yeah, I will."

"By, the way...Saito-san." Satoshi said.

––"What is it?"

"Kantou is quite warm..." Satoshi said, gesturing towards his friend's black jacket. "You might get uncomfortably hot wearing that."

"Is that so? Well then, I'll surely keep that in mind."

Then, Hikari walked over to the two boys. "Hey there guys!" she called. "The food we've ordered has finally arrived!"

"It sure took them long enough. We've been waiting for almost half an hour." Saito complained.

"Oh, come on now, Saito-san, surely it should be all right! Sure, they take a while to prepare it, but it tastes great!" said Satoshi.

"Well, I'm heading inside to have some supper. Would you like to come along?" Satoshi offered.

"Yes." Saito replied.

–––

"Good. We've managed to sneak into this ship without getting caught." a man said.

"Yes. It's now time to begin our mission: Operation Floodlight." a woman said.

"Ya, an' there ain't no twoip stoppin' us this time!" their cat-like Pokémon pitched in.

"After this mission, the boss is going to so proud of us! And, he's even promised to give us ten per cent of what we can steal today!" the blue-haired man said.

"So now, let's go over the details of our mission again. This ship's cargo includes a good amount of some pretty expensive jewelry. We're currently on storeroom 1 of floor B1. The first thing we have to do is to sneak to the elevator and descend to floor B4. Then, we sneak our way into the cargo holds, find as much jewelry as we can and stash it all into these sacks we're carrying. Our objective is to successfully escape with full bags of jewelry." the woman reminded.

"_Wakarimashita._ (Understood.)" the man and the cat-like Pokémon said.

"_Sā, ikimashō ka? _(So, shall we go now?)" the woman asked.

"_Ryōkai!_ (Roger!)" the man and the Pokémon chorused.

"_Roketto Dan, ikimasu!_ (Team Rocket, go!)" they said in unison.

The trio crept out of the room, slowly walking while looking around to make sure that nobody was there, and to avoid being detected by surveillance cameras.

They reached the elevator undetected, pressing the button marked "B4". The doors of the elevator closed. The elevator moved down.

The doors opened. They looked around them. No people. No surveillance cameras in sight either. They heaved a sigh of relief, realizing that security wasn't as tight as they had assumed in their worst-case scenario. They took a few steps out of the elevator. The walls and ceiling had all kinds of pipes and tubes, some of them criss-crossing over and under each other, some of them meeting and merging into one large pipe.

They slowly walked forward, until they reached a door marked "CARGO HOLD: SECTION 1."

"This is it. Let's open the door." the blue haired man said.

Slowly, they turned the handle of the heavy steel door and pushed it open. There was a room, definitely, but they could not see what was inside, as there were no lights switched on at that time. They opened the door further, allowing some light from the corridor to illuminate the entrance of the room. They saw a stack of boxes in front of them.

"This is it. We're here." the blue haired man said.

The three took out their flashlights. "Let's get to work." the woman with long, red hair said.

_Satoshi stood on a cliff fronting the sea. The full moon shined brightly on the dark, clear night sky. He listened to the gentle waves slapping the rocks far below. A gentle wind blew, slightly pushing his black hair backward. He seated himself on the soft grass as he relaxed around the pure beauty of nature. _

_Satoshi-kun!_

_He looked around him, searching for where the strangely familiar voice came from._

_Satoshi-kun, watashi wa kochira ni imasu yo! (Satoshi-kun, I'm over here!)_

_He turned around. His eyes widened in surprise. _

_She ran over to him and hugged him tightly. He was surprised, but after a second, he regained his composure and hugged her back. _

_Satoshi-kun, aishitemasu yo! (I love you, Satoshi-kun!) _

Satoshi woke up, suddenly jolted out of a wonderful dream. The public address system of the ship was blaring out a message to the people on board, loud enough to wake even Satoshi, who slept really deeply.

"We repeat, there are thieves on board the ship! If you see any suspicious individuals with a Nyāsu (Meowth) carrying sacks, please report it to any of the ship's staff immediately!"

"A Nyāsu, huh?" Satoshi said.

"Yeah, that's right. And judging from previous experience, I guess we can already have a reasonably good guess on who these people are." said Takeshi.

Satoshi thought quickly. _There's only one group of villains I know with a Pokémon like that who'd rob a ship._

"_Roketto Dan desu ka? _(Is it Team Rocket?)"

"_Boku no suisoku da. _(That's my guess)" Takeshi answered.

Satoshi sighed. "Well...whoever it is, I guess we can't just sit down and do nothing, can we?"

"I agree. We should do something." Saito agreed.

"Well then, I guess we should go." Masato said.

Satoshi stood up. "To be honest, I'm getting rather sick and tired of these guys crossing our path all the time."

"Well, we can't just let them steal things, can we?" said Hikari.

"Yeah, you're right. Anyway, I guess we should go. Let's go, Pikachu." Satoshi said, gesturing to the Pokémon to hop onto his shoulder.

"Pika, pika!" the Pokémon enthusiastically said, hopping onto its trainer's shoulder.

The five got up, took their Pokéballs and went out.

They ran over to the stairs and descended to the ship's deck. They were headed to the only escape route on the ship that they could think of: the lifeboats.

But when they got there, they saw that several guards had already secured the deck.

"I doubt that they'd easily get to the lifeboats with all these guards around the deck." said Hikari.

"Besides, even if you were able to get a lifeboat, it's very difficult to reach land, considering how far away we are from shore. Unless you get rescued by another ship, you're practically helpless." Saito said.

"You know, I doubt that they'd use the lifeboats to escape. Knowing them, they'd probably use a hot-air balloon." Satoshi suggested.

"Well, in any case, I believe it would be best if we can prevent them from reaching the deck; it's the only real place on this ship where an escape would be feasible. Let's head inside." Saito said.

They went through the door into the lobby. They checked the map of the ship's interior.

"They're probably below the deck. It wouldn't make sense for someone trying to escape to go above the deck; that would only take them further away from their only escape route. And if they do decided to hide there, we'll have all night to search for them." Takeshi said.

"And they probably won't try to use the elevator as well. It's unlikely for the fastest way to get to the deck to be unguarded." Takeshi continued.

"Why don't we split up? We might have a better chance of finding them if we do." Satoshi suggested.

"Yes, it might work." Takeshi agreed.

"Masato-kun, you're going with me. We'll watch the starboard side of floor B1." Satoshi said.

"All right." Masato replied.

"Takeshi-san, you go with Hikari-chan. You guys watch the port side of floor B1."

"Well...OK." Hikari and Takeshi said.

"And Saito-san, you watch the area near the stairs on the starboard side of floor B2. You're proficient in hand-to-hand fighting, so you should be fine on your own."

"Yeah. But Roketto Dan isn't really dangerous anyway. They are so predictable. I've met even more dangerous wild Pokémon while I was traveling alone."

"Saito-san, please bear in mind that, although signs currently point to Roketto-Dan, we're not completely sure. For all we know, they could be some pretty dangerous people. Don't get overconfident." Satoshi said, trying to contain their companion's ego.

"Well...I guess you're right." Saito said.

_And to think that he's been lecturing me about overconfidence..., _Satoshi thought.

_Augh...a dose of my own medicine; it's bitter...,_ Saito thought, embarrassed. _But I guess he's right. I was overconfident..._

"All right, let's go everyone!" Satoshi rallied.

They split up, heading to their respective watch areas.

Satoshi and Masato walked quietly across the hallway, taking care not to wake up people who might still be asleep, though they doubted that anyone could stay asleep after that announcement was blasted at maximum volume. There were not that many people walking around. Most of the people that were walking around on this floor were security guards or janitors; most of the passengers stayed in their rooms, keeping awake to make sure in case the thieves might try to break into their rooms, or went to places with a lot of people, like the deck, the restaurants and the shops.

"Keep looking. They might be somewhere here." Satoshi said.

Takeshi and Hikari walked around the other side of floor B1, passing through halls lined with passenger's rooms. Along the way, they met a few guards and a few people walking together. No passenger dared to walk alone, fearing that they might encounter the thieves alone.

"What will we do if we find the thieves?" Hikari asked.

"Well...we might not want to fight them with our Pokémon in an enclosed area like this: we might destroy property, or maybe some innocent people would get hurt. It would probably be best to just call the guards." Takeshi answered.

Saito walked over to the stairway on the starboard side. _I'd better not let my guard down. Even if it's only Roketto Dan, who knows what they'll have up their sleeve?_

He found the stairway. However, before he set his foot on the first step, he saw a black insect on the railing of the stairway. He stepped back in fear. He took a few seconds to take a few deep breaths and regain his composure. Then, he took a look at the railing again.

_Th...that's...a...cockroach!_

His hand shook in fear. His heart beat rapidly.

_Ohh...maaaaan...pleeeeeaaaaase, pleeeeeaaaaase go away!_

But his hopes for the cockroach to leave were not to be granted. The cockroach walked a short distance, then raised its wing and flew through the air, towards Saito.

"UUUUAAAAGGGHH!!" Saito screamed, running away in fear. He quickly bolted down the hallway, the only thing in his mind being escape from the disgusting insect.

He realized he was headed straight into a tight bend on the corridor and stopped in the nick of time; just a few feet away from crashing into a wall.

Then, he heard a voice.

"Oh, come on, Saito-san! And you call yourself a man?" Satoshi said.

"Pika, pikachu!" the Pokémon agreed.

"S...Satoshi-san!?" Saito said, completely embarrassed after realizing that Satoshi had witnessed his sudden loss of bravery.

"A guy like you, acting all cold and tough, but afraid of cockroaches!" Masato laughed.

"Hey, be quiet! It's not funny, you know?" said Saito.

"Oh, for crying out loud, I'll take care of it!" Satoshi declared.

Satoshi headed towards the stairway. The roach was on one of the steps. He walked toward it. He looked at it for a short moment, then crushed it with his shoe.

He walked back toward Saito and Masato. "There. The cockroach is dead. Now, go." he said.

Saito breathed a sigh of relief. "All right." Saito replied. He walked back towards the stairs and headed downward.

"Let's go, Masato." Satoshi said. The teenager and the young boy walked down the hallway.

Saito surveyed the around the area near the stairs, searching carefully for any sign of the thieves.

Then, the public address system blared out another message.

"Attention, all passengers! The thieves have been detected! Sighted at Floor B2, port side! All passengers in B2, stay in your rooms, lock your doors and take cover, or if your are close to the stairs and outside your room, go up to the deck now!"

"We repeat, attention all passengers! The thieves have been detected! Sighted at Floor B2, port side! All passengers in B2, stay in your rooms, lock your doors and take cover, or if you are close to the stairs and outside your room, go up to the deck now!"

For a moment, Saito thought of searching for the thieves himself, now knowing that they were on the same floor as he. However, he decided to follow the advice on the public address system, turning around and ascending to floor B1.

He met Satoshi and Masato, who had gone to the stairs to look for him. "Saito-san!" Masato called out.

"Hey there! Where's Hikari-san and Takeshi-san?" Saito asked.

"They're waiting on the stairway to the deck, on the starboard side. They're waiting for us." Satoshi replied.

The three walked towards the staircase to the deck. Along the way, they met guards quickly walking towards the stairs to floor B2. All those who were on Floor B1 were quickly heading towards the stairs, evacuating to the deck.

They saw Hikari and Takeshi gesturing to them. "Let's go, guys!" Hikari shouted.

"I believe it would be best to let the security handle this one, as long as it remains under the deck." Saito said.

"Thanks a lot for letting that surveillance camera see us, Musashi!" the blue haired man said sarcastically.

"Hey now, it wasn't just my fault. You were the one who blew our cover in the first place, weren't you? If it weren't for your loud talking, the ship wouldn't have been on high alert!" the woman with long, red hair replied.

"Hey, stop foitin' an' foind some way we can get out of here!" Nyāsu said irritatedly.

"There they are! Get them!" a security guard yelled.

"Let's run, now!" Musashi and Koujiro exclaimed.

The group stood at the ship's prow, waiting for the situation to be resolved.

"Ohhh...I hope they catch the thief soon. I'm sleepy." Hikari complained.

"I hope so too. We're all sleepy." Satoshi said."Pikachuuu..." the tired Electric Pokémon agreed.

"Over here! All guards, over here!" one guard said, gesturing to the other guards to go to him.

The three guards nearby ran over to that guard. "We have a situation in the stern. Let's go, hurry!" the guard said to the other guards.

"What's going on?" Takeshi wondered.

"Let's check it out." Satoshi said. "Masato-kun, stay behind, it's too dangerous. Hikari-chan, you keep an eye on Masato-kun. Saito-san, Takeshi-san, let's go."

"Hey, please, can I go with you guys?" Masato pleaded.

"Stay here, kid. You'll just get in the way. An injured companion is just another burden." Saito said coldly.

The three males quickly ran away.

"Hey guys! Just because I'm a girl doesn't meet I have to be the babysitter!" Hikari objected. But they were now too far to hear her. She sighed.

Masato felt dejected. He walked over to the railing, his head bowed.

"Hey, Masato-kun!" Hikari called. She followed the boy and walked over to him.

"Hey, Masato-kun, what's wrong?" she asked.

Masato looked towards the sea. He bowed his head, fighting back tears. His voice was breaking.

"I...is that what I am to you all? Am I...a burden? Am I just getting in the way?" he sobbed.

"No, you aren't, Masato-kun." Hikari said, trying to console him.

"They didn't want me to get in the way because they think I...I'd get hurt. They think of me as someone they have to look after because he can't look after himself. And you sounded like...like you didn't want to stay with me." he sobbed, his voice breaking.

"You talk like...I'm only around to slow you guys down." he cried. His tears intensified. He sobbed heavily.

"Masato-kun..." Hikari said. She placed her hands on the young boy's shoulders. She looked at him straight in the eye, with a sympathetic look on her face.

"It's all right, Masato-kun. You're not a burden." she said soothingly, trying to console the boy.

Masato looked up at Hikari in the eye. His tears stopped for a moment.

"You're not a burden. You've helped us a lot of times. Your Pokénav helped keep us from getting lost in the wilderness. Your knowledge on Pokémon helped keep us from accidentally entering aggressive wild Pokémon's territory." she said.

"You aren't getting in the way. We were just trying to protect you. We just want to make sure you're safe..." Hikari said comfortingly.

"And, I'm sorry if I sounded like I didn't want to keep an eye on you. I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

Masato started sobbing weakly again. "But...Saito-san...what he said made me feel so...small...a..and...worthless. He...he said that I...I...would only...g..get in the way..." he sobbed.

Hikari hugged him. "It's all right, Masato-kun. Never mind what Saito-san says. He's always like that, I don't know why. Don't mind what he says."

"It's all right, Masato-kun. Don't cry." she said, rubbing the boy's back as she continued to hug him.

Masato felt consoled and comforted. He was very thankful to the her for understanding him. He hugged her back.

Hikari hugged him more tightly. He stopped crying.

"Thanks, Hikari-san."

–––

The three followed the guards to the ship's stern. What they saw shocked them.

The guards gathered around a Nyāsu balloon hovering over the stern of the ship. One of the guards was carrying a megaphone. "We repeat, go away from this ship now! Otherwise, explain why you are here!" the guard yelled.

"So it _is_ Roketto Dan!" Satoshi hissed.

"What should we do?" Takeshi asked.

"I think it's best if we stay at the side and see what happens." Saito said.

"Yeah. Besides, we would want to avoid a Pokémon battle on the deck as much as we can. Some innocent people may get caught in the crossfire." Satoshi said.

"Which is why we need to wait for the right moment. Then, we attack, get back the jewelry, and eliminate them as quickly as possible, without giving them a chance to resist. That way, any crossfire will be minimal." Saito said.

They headed over to some crates, hid behind them, and watched for what would happen next.

However, the balloon refused to leave. A Rocket was aboard. He threw a spherical object at the guards. The object cracked open upon landing on the ship's deck, releasing brown fumes. The guards collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

"Those things contained stun spores taken from Pokémon!" Takeshi hissed.

Satoshi found it hard to restrain himself. "I'm going to get that jewelry back now!"

Takeshi and Saito pulled him back. "Be patient. It is not yet the right time to strike. The paralyzed guards may be injured if we have a Pokémon battle on the deck." Saito said.

"He's right, Satoshi-kun." Takeshi agreed.

Satoshi calmed down. "Yeah...I guess we should wait."

Then, a nearby door opened. Musashi, Koujiro and Nyāsu emerged. "It took you long enough to get here, you three." the Rocket grunt hissed.

"We're sorry. We ran into a bit of trouble, you see." Koujiro explained.

"Well anyway, hop in. The boss is waiting for the loot you've stolen." the Rocket said.

They tied the jewelry to one of the balloon's posts, as there wouldn't be enough space in the crowded balloon for their loot to fit with them.

The three got into their balloon. They slowly started to lift off.

"Now's our chance! Eliminate them quickly; don't give them a chance to fight back!" Saito hissed.

They jumped out from their hiding place. "Get ready, Pikachu! Ōsubame (Swellow), go!" Satoshi yelled, throwing out a Pokéball.

"Bakutūn (Typhlosion), go!" Saito called out, a Pokéball in hand.

"Haganēru (Steelix), go!" Takeshi shouted, tossing a Pokéball.

The three Pokémon emerged, ready to receive orders.

"Ōsubame, use wing attack to cut those sacks off the balloon!" Satoshi ordered.

The bird Pokémon's wings glowed white. It dashed full speed towards the balloon, cutting the ropes that tied the sacks to the balloon.

"What the...?!" Musashi and Koujiro exclaimed, surprised.

The sacks were quickly falling towards the sea.

"Haganēru, catch those sacks, now!" Takeshi roared.

The Iron Snake Pokémon thrust its head forward beyond the deck, catching the three sacks on its head.

"It's the twerps! They're here!" Koujiro yelled, reaching for a Pokéball.

"Hey, don't let them take that jewelry!" Musashi screamed, reaching for a Pokéball as well.

"Bakutūn, use Ember on them! Don't let them retaliate!" Saito commanded.

The fire Pokémon spit out fire droplets aimed straight at Roketto Dan, including the extra Rocket.

"Ouch, ouch, hot!" they yelped, dropping the Pokéballs before they could release their Pokémon.

Satoshi looked towards the Pokémon on his shoulder. "Let's end this! Pikachu, use thunderbolt!"

"Pi...ka...chuuuuuuu!!" the Pokémon called, gathering electricity in its cheeks and releasing it in one huge lighting bolt aimed straight at the balloon.

"We're blasting off again!" Musashi, Koujiro and Nyāsu shouted in unison.

"I'm blasting off for the first time!" the other Rocket yelled.

Hanagēru lowered the sacks of jewelry to the deck.

The three recalled their Pokémon. They ran over to the jewelry, which was now safe from Roketto Dan.

"We've saved the jewelry. Good work, guys." Satoshi said, relieved that it was finally over.

"Yeah. Let's get some medical staff to make sure these stunned guards are all right though." Takeshi said.

–––

Satoshi, Takeshi, Hikari and Masato were back in their room. They were getting ready to go back to bed, finally being able to rest after their sleep was interrupted by the ordeal.

"Goodnight." Satoshi said, lying down on his bed.

"Where's Saito-san?" Hikari asked.

"He's probably still on the deck, maybe thinking about something." Takeshi said.

"I see." Hikari said, standing up from her bed.

"Are you going to go to him?" Takeshi asked.

"Yes. It's pretty late. He should go to sleep." she said.

"...besides, I need to talk to him too." she continued.

"Well...all right then. Head back soon." Takeshi said. He had planned to ask why she would talk to Saito alone, but he was too sleepy to care at the moment.

Hikari walked out of the room. She went to the stairs and descended to the lobby. She walked across the lobby and went out into the deck. She saw Saito standing on the railing, his long black hair fluttering in the wind.

She walked over to him.

"Saito-san!" she called. Saito looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

She put her hands on her hips.

"You made Masato-kun cry earlier!" Hikari yelled.

Saito was perplexed. "Really? Why?" Saito asked.

"You told him he would only get in the way! So he felt like he was just a burden who caused a lot of problems for us, and he started crying! You made him feel like trash!" Hikari said.

"I see..." Saito said, remembering that he had indeed done what Hikari said he did. Although seemingly apathetic, as he had been ever since he traveled with them, he felt bad whenever he hurt one of his friends.

He looked down at his feet for a moment. Then, he looked at Hikari in the eye.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I...hurt him...really. I'm sorry." Saito apologized.

Hikari was surprised. She didn't expect Saito to apologize.

"It's all right, Saito-san. I forgive you. But, please apologize to Masato-kun, all right?" Hikari said.

"Yes, I will." Saito said.

Hikari was taken aback. _Saito-san...he's never acted this way. I wasn't completely expecting him to admit his mistakes and apologize._ She smiled weakly.

"Oh, and one more thing, Saito-san..." said Hikari, bowing her head..

"What is it?" Saito said.

Hikari took a step towards him and stared straight into his eye, looking very serious.

"Please, Saito-san, stop being so rough and brusque when dealing with others. Please, have a heart; respect other people's feelings." Hikari said.

"Please, Saito-san...?" she said, looking at him deeply in the eye.

Saito's cold, unemotional stare didn't budge. But deep down inside, he was affected.

Then, he realized they were both staring at each other. His heart leaped. But he quickly regained his composure.

"Well..." he said, turning is head to the right for a moment. Then, he looked at her in the eye again. "But..." Saito said.

"But...what?" Hikari asked.

"I may not be able to change immediately...I...I've been like this for a long time. It might not be easy for me to change right away." Saito said.

"It's all right." Hikari replied. "Change doesn't always happen quickly. Sometimes, change takes time. But...please, promise that you'll try to change."

"Even if it doesn't happen immediately, just keep trying. If you're really serious about it, it will happen." Hikari encouraged.

Saito looked down at the floor for a moment, thinking deeply.

Then, he looked at Hikari in the eye once more.

"Yes...I promise." Saito said.

She looked at him in the eye. She smiled faintly. "Thanks, Saito-san." she said.

She noticed a trace of warmth in Saito's eyes.

"Well...it's late now. We should be heading back." Hikari said.

"Yes...we should." Saito agreed.

They walked back into the lobby, then up the stairs and to their room.

They entered the room. Takeshi and Satoshi were already asleep. Hikari immediately walked toward the bedroom and collapsed into the bottom bed of one of the two double-decker beds. Masato was seated on a chair on the living room, looking out of the large window.

Saito approached the boy. "Masato-kun..." he said.

Masato turned around. "Saito-san. What is it?" he asked.

Saito looked out of the window. He could see the moon, high in the sky. It gave off a bright, silver glow.

He placed his hand on Masato's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Masato-kun." he apologized. "I'm sorry I was so condescending to you."

Masato looked up at him, a bit surprised. He saw something different in Saito's eyes. They were no longer cold, apathetic and without emotion. His eyes were now warm. He could see from the look in his eyes that he was sorry.

"I'm sorry I made you feel useless." Saito said repentantly. "I wanted to keep you away from potential danger. But I guess the way I said it hurt you. I'm sorry, buddy."

"R...really? You...don't think I'm just...a burden?" Masato asked.

"You aren't. You've helped us a lot of times. I'm...just sorry I never acknowledged your help before. What an arrogant man I am..." Saito said.

Masato was speechless at Saito's sudden change of heart.

He placed his hand on Saito's shoulder. "Aww...it's all right, Saito-san. I'm not really that upset about it anymore. It's all right, really!" he said.

"I'm really sorry, Masato-kun..." Saito said.

"It's all right. We're still buddies, aren't we? No need to worry!" Masato smiled.

Saito looked at Masato gratefully. "Thanks, Masato-kun." he said.

Masato was surprised. _Woah...he actually said "Thanks."! That's a first..._

"You're welcome!" Masato smiled.

Masato looked at the clock. "Hey, it's 2:04 AM. We should go to sleep, don't you think?" he suggested.

"Yes, I think we should." Saito agreed.

––––––––––––

So that concludes the second chapter of this fanfic. I may not update for several months, as I have a lot of schoolwork to do (I badly need to maintain my scholarship, and my school is one of the toughest high schools in the country: view my profile if you want). But I hope I can update again during our October break. Sorry, I'm just too busy to write when there's school, even on weekends. Anyway, reviews will be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

And, as to why I used the Japanese names, all I can say is that I simply prefer to use them, even if the Philippines uses the English dub. But I'll consider using English names should I write another fanfiction, so that I wouldn't have to make long Author's Notes (I don't know when that will be. But if it does happen, it'll probably be a year from now or so).


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